A Gray World: My Response to Anonymous

I'm interrupting crafty Tuesday yet again, due to some flack that I received for my last post. I felt that it was important to respond to my anonymous commenter.

Dear Anonymous Commenter,

I can't think of much that is more upsetting than to call another human being a baby killer. I'm curious as to whether or not you actually think that I woke up one morning and thought "hmmm...today I'll vote for a candidate who will pass legislation that will torture and kill little babies."? I have heard Barrack Obama speak on the issue of abortion, and I do agree with what I have heard. I don't see abortion as a black and white issue. Many young women get pregnant unintentionally, and many of them are unequipped to be parents. The children of these unequipped mothers are very likely to become unequipped (as their own mothers were) at preventing pregnancy and at parenting, and this is a vicious cycle that is perpetuating itself throughout society. There are many reasons why people seek abortions Senator Obama said in the final presidential debate that he voted against the bill that you referred to because it did not allow for exceptions for the mother's health, and that he voted for a bill that did allow for exceptions for the mother's health, and so that was already on the books when this piece of legislation came up for a vote. I'm quite sure that this answer will not satisfy you, but since you brought it up those are my opinions.

In reference to socialism, there are many countries around the world who have socialized medicine. To name a few: France, England, Canada, Norway, etc. None of these countries are promised everything and receive nothing as Russia did. Oh, and just so you know, Russia was a communist nation, not a socialist one. We happen to have socialized police and firefighters. Before our fire fighters were socialized, houses that hadn't paid for services were allowed to burn. Someday I hope that we look back at the way that we used to do medicine for profit and realize how silly that was too. Interestingly enough, I was watching the program This Week (George Stephanopolis' political show) on Sunday and I thought it was interesting that Newt Gingrich pointed out that the nationalization of banks did not happen under a democratic president (as many conservatives feared that it would under Kerry or Gore), but under George W. Bush.

I'm no economist, and don't ever hope to be an expert in that area, however I am a well informed voter. I do know that there is no one that is innocent when it comes to the financial turmoil. Republicans are responsible for deregulation, and both democrats and republicans are responsible for taking large campaign contributions from the large banks. The large banks are responsible for having bad lending practices. The small banks are responsible for having predatory lending practices followed by selling bad loans to the big guys. And everyday Americans are responsible for spending money that they didn't have. Yep, we're all in this one together.

As for your last assertion, that you hope that the world comes to an end soon, wow. You have really illustrated the point that I was (perhaps not so eloquently) trying to make in my last post. There is a divisiveness in our nation and in our world. So many people are set on their point of view to the point that they hope and wish that the world would come to an end before we have to deal with the issues that face us. It seems to me that if we are unable to have a civil discussion with one another, let alone be able to come together to solve some of the world's problems, then you are probably right...it is better that the world end. However, I am willing and happy to do what it takes to talk out our differences and do what is necessary to have a wonderful world for everyone to raise their children in. The way that you worded your comment though, makes me doubt whether you are willing to do that though. I feel sad to think of a world in which all is black or white. Good or evil. Totally right or totally wrong. The more that I dissect issues, the closer that I look at things, the more shades of gray that I see. If you are interested, there are a couple of books written from the Christian perspective that you might enjoy checking out. One is called God's Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get it by Jim Wallis. The other is Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White: Thoughts on Religion, Morality, and Politics by Adam Hamilton. They are both favorites of my husband.

I welcome open discussion with all.

Sincerely,
A Mother for Change in Missouri